---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have an itch. Wait, scratch that…"
description: "\"“I have an itch. Wait, scratch that. That’s just a tickle that comes from being in love with someone who’s not in love with me.”\" — Jarod Kintz"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/jarod-kintz-2_itch_i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s_2499159.jpg"
---

#  I have an itch. Wait, scratch that. That’s just a tickle…

![“I have an itch. Wait, scratch that. That’s just a tickle that comes from being in love with someone who’s not in love with me.” quote by Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/jarod-kintz-2_itch_i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s_2499159.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/jarod-kintz-2_itch_i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s_2499159.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/jarod-kintz-2_itch_i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s_2499159.jpg)

> ““I have an itch. Wait, scratch that. That’s just a tickle that comes from being in love with someone who’s not in love with me.””

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Unrequited love feels like an itch that quickly becomes a painful tickle, exposing emotional vulnerability.

**In simple terms:** Love unreciprocated feels like an irritating itch.

Key Takeaway

Accept the feeling and seek healthier connections.

Themes

love loneliness vulnerability

Mood

melancholic thoughtful

Type

personal emotional

When to use this quote

- dating
- friendship
- self‑care
- emotional processing

Key Concepts

unrequited affection emotional pain self‑worth

Questions to Reflect On

- What does the “itch” represent for you?
- How can you turn this discomfort into growth?

A Different Perspective

The metaphor may oversimplify complex emotions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Itch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itch/) [Itch Wait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itch-wait-1042822/) [Just Tickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-tickle-747831/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Tickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tickle/) [Tickle Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tickle-comes-1042821/)

## Related quotes

> [Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/earth-is-here-so-kind-that-just-tickle-her-with-a-hoe-and-she-laughs/)

[Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/)

> [“Having you in my life is so comforting, because it's like you feel and say all the same things I always did, but hearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-fowler/having-you-in-my-life-is-so-comforting-because-it-s-like-you-feel-and/)

[Nick Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-fowler/)

> [ Earth is here so kind \[Australia\], that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-jerrold/earth-is-here-so-kind-australia-that-just-tickle-her-with-a-hoe-and/)

[Douglas Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-jerrold/)

> [“I’ve just begun to scratch the surface of my talent, and boy does my talent itch. It’s like a red mosquito bite the size…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-ve-just-begun-to-scratch-the-surface-of-my-talent-and-boy-does-my/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“I named my car Itch, not because it’s all scratched up, though it is, but because it got under my skin without tickling my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-named-my-car-itch-not-because-it-s-all-scratched-up-though-it-is/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“I enjoy scratching itches on my body with my beard stubble. The worst though is when my lower back itches.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-enjoy-scratching-itches-on-my-body-with-my-beard-stubble-the-worst/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“I can scratch “scratch myself” off my list of things to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-can-scratch-scratch-myself-off-my-list-of-things-to-do/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“A tickle, an itch, and a scratch walk into a bar while I was in the corner drinking a thermos full of epidermis, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-tickle-an-itch-and-a-scratch-walk-into-a-bar-while-i-was-in-the/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“If I shed my skin like a shed, rather than a snake, then you might expect me to have shingles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/if-i-shed-my-skin-like-a-shed-rather-than-a-snake-then-you-might/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“I stitched an itch to my side. As far as surgeries go, I’m just barely scratching the surface.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-stitched-an-itch-to-my-side-as-far-as-surgeries-go-i-m-just-barely/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“My fingers itch, and the more I scratch the more it tickles. Tickle, itch, tickle, itch, this whole experience reminds me of being in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-fingers-itch-and-the-more-i-scratch-the-more-it-tickles-tickle/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“My fingernail itches. I need to scratch it with my skin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-fingernail-itches-i-need-to-scratch-it-with-my-skin/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“I wear my underwear on the outside of my itch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wear-my-underwear-on-the-outside-of-my-itch/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [Don't you tickle my foot bottom ha ha baby please. Don't you play with my nose I might ha chum sneeze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaggy/don-t-you-tickle-my-foot-bottom-ha-ha-baby-please-don-t-you-play-with/)

[Shaggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaggy/)

> [“I had a nose tickle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/i-had-a-nose-tickle/)

[Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/)

## More by Jarod Kintz

> [“I notice when you’re gone. Or do I? How can I observe something that isn’t there?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-notice-when-you-re-gone-or-do-i-how-can-i-observe-something-that/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“I wouldn’t love you if you were the last Sodomite in Gomorrah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wouldn-t-love-you-if-you-were-the-last-sodomite-in-gomorrah/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“A blanket could be used to make sweet, sweet music with the love of your life. Hopefully that person is me, because I’ve been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-blanket-could-be-used-to-make-sweet-sweet-music-with-the-love-of/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“A brick could be used to slow down time. Sort of like a camel in a wheelchair pushed by a thirsty Arab. Hey, Khalid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-brick-could-be-used-to-slow-down-time-sort-of-like-a-camel-in-a/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“We have a love so pure that it makes snow seem yellow. (Don’t eat it!)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/we-have-a-love-so-pure-that-it-makes-snow-seem-yellow-don-t-eat-it/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“I hid Mrs. Frozenwater’s body in the ice cube trays in my freezer. Better to keep her there than let her memory thaw out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-hid-mrs-frozenwater-s-body-in-the-ice-cube-trays-in-my-freezer/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“Two similar words might lead to two similar ideas. They might also lead to the basement, which I recently converted into a dungeon/torture chamber.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/two-similar-words-might-lead-to-two-similar-ideas-they-might-also/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“Nothing is and isn’t; nothing is and isn’t—nothing itself is, and at the same time, nothing isn’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/nothing-is-and-isn-t-nothing-is-and-isn-t-nothing-itself-is-and-at/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“Embossed letters represent the topography of typography.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/embossed-letters-represent-the-topography-of-typography/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“There’s only one piece of clothing I could eat fast, and that’s a scarf.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/there-s-only-one-piece-of-clothing-i-could-eat-fast-and-that-s-a-scarf/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“Dora J. Arod is to Jarod Ora, as yes is to yes. Yes is also the correct answer to “Will you marry me?” Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/dora-j-arod-is-to-jarod-ora-as-yes-is-to-yes-yes-is-also-the-correct/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“The best part about being kidnapped is being blindfolded and getting kicked into the trunk of a car. Boy, normally I have to beg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-best-part-about-being-kidnapped-is-being-blindfolded-and-getting/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“Orafoura once told me that if I were a car, I’d be a Ferrari. One that was scratched smashed, rusted, and stolen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/orafoura-once-told-me-that-if-i-were-a-car-i-d-be-a-ferrari-one-that/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“What makes a good leader? I ask myself this every day, and then as I begin to list off characteristics I realize I’m describing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/what-makes-a-good-leader-i-ask-myself-this-every-day-and-then-as-i/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“I’d like to file a missing person’s report—on my clone. It’s nearly 2012. He should have been here by now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-d-like-to-file-a-missing-person-s-report-on-my-clone-it-s-nearly/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

[Explore all 6,921 Jarod Kintz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

## More Itch quotes

> [My problems are sort of more on a nuisance level. I can't stand scratchy clothes, I've got to have soft kinds of cotton against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/my-problems-are-sort-of-more-on-a-nuisance-level-i-can-t-stand/)

[Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/)

> [“...The devil had long ago taken a shine to Tert Card, filled him like a cream horn with itch and irritation. His middle name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-annie-proulx-author/the-devil-had-long-ago-taken-a-shine-to-tert-card-filled-him-like-a/)

[E. Annie Proulx (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-annie-proulx-author/)

> [After having played serious drama for so long, I needed to scratch the itch of versatility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-wyle/after-having-played-serious-drama-for-so-long-i-needed-to-scratch-the/)

[Noah Wyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-wyle/)

> [People often want the big dramatic works, not the smaller quieter ones, but I don't worry about how it fits together anymore; I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-parker/people-often-want-the-big-dramatic-works-not-the-smaller-quieter-ones/)

[Cornelia Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-parker/)

> [“I wear my underwear on the outside of my itch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wear-my-underwear-on-the-outside-of-my-itch/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“My fingernail itches. I need to scratch it with my skin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-fingernail-itches-i-need-to-scratch-it-with-my-skin/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [As I ponder pass I tend to itch my noggin often rockin to a beat to crop my verse until my urn or coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/as-i-ponder-pass-i-tend-to-itch-my-noggin-often-rockin-to-a-beat-to/)

[C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/)

> [“I felt a queasy mixture of relief and horror: when you finally stop an itch and realize it’s because you’ve ripped a hole in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/i-felt-a-queasy-mixture-of-relief-and-horror-when-you-finally-stop-an/)

[Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/)

> [“As simple an act as reading or writing a sentence must be surrounded by perceptory nap and weave . . . an itch, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/as-simple-an-act-as-reading-or-writing-a-sentence-must-be-surrounded/)

[David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/)

> [When I don’t understand, I have an unbearable itch to know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/when-i-don-t-understand-i-have-an-unbearable-itch-to-know-why/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [The itch of scribbling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/the-itch-of-scribbling/)

[Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/)

> [A burning itch to know is higher than a solemn vow to pursue truth. To feel the burning itch of curiosity requires both that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/a-burning-itch-to-know-is-higher-than-a-solemn-vow-to-pursue-truth-to/)

[Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/)

> [We live one day at a time and scratch where it itches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-royal/we-live-one-day-at-a-time-and-scratch-where-it-itches/)

[Darrell Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-royal/)

> [“Being in a room with that many people was starting to make me itch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-anne-gilman/being-in-a-room-with-that-many-people-was-starting-to-make-me-itch/)

[Laura Anne Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-anne-gilman/)

> [One learns to itch where one can scratch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-learns-to-itch-where-one-can-scratch/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 168 Itch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itch/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I have an itch. Wait, scratch that. That’s just a tickle that comes from being in love with someone who’s not in love with me.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jarod Kintz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s-just-a-tickle-that-comes-from/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Itch"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s-just-a-tickle-that-comes-from/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/jarod-kintz-2_itch_i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s_2499159.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/jarod-kintz-2_itch_i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s_2499159.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/jarod-kintz-2_itch_i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s_2499159.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I have an itch. Wait, scratch that. That’s just a tickle that comes from being in love with someone who’s…” — Jarod Kintz",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jarod Kintz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I have an itch. Wait, scratch...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s-just-a-tickle-that-comes-from/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-have-an-itch-wait-scratch-that-that-s-just-a-tickle-that-comes-from/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
